Los Angeles Dodgers: 3 best DH options in shortened season

Dave Roberts recently spoke about his DH plans for the season and there was one name in particular that he mentioned: Justin Turner.

Turner has been the Dodgers’ everyday third baseman for the past couple of seasons. It is a position he has thrived in thanks to his ability to hit for an above .300 average coupled with his adequate defensive play at the hot corner. But the latter was far from the case last season.

Turner notched a -0.2 dWAR and a Rdrs of-3 last season for the team. His -6.7 UZR ranked 24th among third baseman in all of baseball with at least 750.0 defensive innings played. For a player who had provided the team with highlight-filled plays over at third base, this was far from the case last season.

The Dodgers are still projected to have Turner be the starting third baseman, but at the age of 35 and with the implementation of the DH this season, it might be time to give him more days off from the infield. The team still clearly needs his bat in the top half of the lineup — in the second or third spot — so the DH might be a viable option for him at this point in his career.

In games where Turner is slotted into the designated hitter role, Roberts could look to Max Muncy to hold down third base. He played 35 games out at third while accumulating a moderate Rdrs of 8. Matt Beaty and Chris Taylor are also candidates to share some playing time at third base — both of whom had a couple of starts each late last season.

The Dodgers have enough infield depth to give Turner time at the DH position. More importantly, the team needs a healthy and well-rested Turner for what may end up being an eight straight postseason run.